


The First of Many

by RcA



Series: Carnivores [5]
Category: Big Bang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Traits, Creature Fic, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Knotting, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-28 21:14:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8463166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RcA/pseuds/RcA
Summary: "I just don't know why--"
"I don't know why either," Seunghyun rumbles, rolling over Daesung's pleasantly soft and airy voice with his own deeper, fuller one, effectively cutting him off. "But you're here now, so... let's just try to make the best of it."
(Daesung's first night with the pack, now complete with the morning after.)





	1. The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

> A reader wanted to know more about Daesung's first night with the pack after Seunghyun took him in, as seen in [Carnivores](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7731763). So I gave it some thought, and this is what I saw. Takes place at the beginning of it all, well before [New Heights](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7884583). (By the way, this will make a lot more sense if you've at least read Carnivores, the first installment in the series.)
> 
> **Disclaimer:** This is a fictional work based on the public personas of real people, over whom I make no claim and to whom I mean no harm.

 

 

 

_(Carnivores, Chapter 4)_

  
_"Seunghyun," Jiyong's voice rang out a moment later-- Jiyong, who wore an expression like he knew far more than he had a right to at this point, like he was privy to some piece of information that no one else in the room had accessed yet._  
  
_"Yeah?"_  
  
_Stepping back and sweeping an arm toward Daesung as if he was presenting to Seunghyun a great gift, Jiyong said smoothly, "He's all yours."_

 

 

\--

 

 

It is dark, it is late, it is positively _frigid_ both outside the house and in by the time Seunghyun slips under the covers in his and Jiyong's and Youngbae's nest of blankets in what is arguably the warmest room of their admittedly flimsy shelter. They have tried to insulate the place, padding the thin walls over time with whatever they can find, anything that might help to keep the heat in during the winter and the chill out.  
  
And it has helped a bit, but in the end their comfort on cold nights all comes down to a heap of blankets on the floor, scavenged or stolen over the years from abandoned human settlements and the cluttered dens of rival packs-- doing them a favor, really, by taking some of that excess off their hands. And under all those blankets, the combined heat of their bodies. They are wolves; though this many generations down the line they lack the fur of their ancestors, by nature's brilliant design their bodies run extra hot. Between the three of them it takes no time at all for the space beneath their bed of blankets to warm, soon so cozy and inviting that Seunghyun could close his eyes and let his consciousness fall away from him in mere seconds.  
  
He could... and he does. Images begin to take shape behind closed lids as Seunghyun feels like he is descending, sinking softly into sleep while the voices of his packmates float through the air around him like gently falling snow. He is comfortable, at peace, utterly relaxed.  
  
...until he is jolted awake by the grating sound of Jiyong's voice barking his name.  
  
" _-unghyun!_ Seunghyun!" Seunghyun cracks his eyes open, just a sliver, and Jiyong raises his brows at his bleary expression. "Finally. Aren't you forgetting something?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Some _one,_ maybe?"  
  
"What are you--" Seunghyun's eyes fly open and he lurches upward where he sits, the blankets pooling around his waist. "Oh."  
  
" _Oh_ , he says. Like he didn't bring another wolf home to join the pack just this afternoon," Jiyong teases, grinning down at a Youngbae who is burrowed so deeply into his fluffy, gray-white comforter that only the top of his head is visible. To Seunghyun it is like he is buried in a snow drift. He does not need to see Youngbae's face to know the shit-eating grin he must be wearing; it's a familiar expression on his younger packmate, after all.  
  
"Whatever, Jiyong," Seunghyun grunts. "I'm tired. Give me a break."  
  
"Just tired? Sure. You're too young for short-term memory loss. We're going to have a problem if that's what this is about." In the dark his grin is blinding, the pearly white of his teeth as he picks on him somehow only making Seunghyun crankier.  
  
"I guess that's what happens when you're oldest of the pack," Youngbae joins in from his place beneath the blankets. "Bones feeling a little brittle yet? Do you need a walking stick?"  
  
Seunghyun punches his leg in retaliation, or what he thinks is his leg; Youngbae only jerks and laughs. He can say that because he and Jiyong are roughly the same age, born only months apart. Even though they are all young adults-- their exact ages unknown as they quit keeping track years ago-- in terms of age Seunghyun is the clear outsider here.  
  
He isn't that much older though. Less than a year, he thinks, and Youngbae is just being a little shit anyway; his memory is still as sharp as ever.  
  
"You think you're safe down there under that blanket. I hate to break it to you, but you're not," Seunghyun threatens. He isn't growling, but his voice comes out so thick and groggy with sleep he may as well be. He scowls down at the outline of Youngbae's body as the other curls into a tight ball, shaking with suppressed laughter.  
  
Youngbae never takes him seriously, never shows Seunghyun the respect he sometimes thinks he deserves. By merit of his childhood with Jiyong, his younger packmate gets away with much, his good-natured ribbing and smart remarks spoken without fear of reprimand. In their pack of only three-- hardly sizeable enough to be a proper pack, in Seunghyun's opinion-- they have little interest in assigning such roles as _beta_ and _omega_. Jiyong leads them. His role as alpha is undisputed. But as for Youngbae and him...  
  
Well, there is no reason to dwell on it right now, although they will probably need to re-evaluate their modest pack's shifting dynamic with the recent addition of Daesung.  
  
"From this point on it isn't just the three of us anymore." Jiyong levels Seunghyun with a stern look, finally through with teasing him. "He's yours, remember? So you'd better go and find him."  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
Jiyong's sincere expression shifts to one of casual disinterest, and he drones, "Unless you don't want him anymore..."  
  
Seunghyun's aggravation reignites. He shoves the blankets off his lap and snaps, "I'll go and get him."  
  
"I'd be happy to take him off your hands."  
  
"No."  
  
"Youngbae might even--"  
  
"Fuck off, Jiyong, I said I'd get him."  
  
Jiyong smiles sweetly and pats the blanket. "Bring him in here with us. Tell him he's welcome here, tell him it's okay. Okay?" His face turns a little sheepish. "I know I spooked him earlier. I hope he isn't hiding from me."  
  
"He's not," Seunghyun says. _He's probably hiding from **me**_ , he thinks, when in fact he has no idea where Daesung is or what he is up to. As he mulls this over in a head still cottony with half-remembered sleep, he yawns so widely he hears as much as feels his jaw crack.  
  
Jiyong watches him expectantly, and by the time Seunghyun has finished scrubbing a hand over his face, mentally preparing himself to leave the warmth of their nest and brave the cold to retrieve their pack's wayward member, even Youngbae has poked his head out of the covers to watch him with curious eyes. Seunghyun jerks coltishly to his feet and stumbles from the room, grumbling to himself all the way.

 

 

\--

 

 

" _He's yours, remember_ ," Seunghyun hisses to himself under his breath, his breath which he can _see_ in front of his face. " _So you'd better go and find him_. Fucking hell it's cold. Where are you, Daesung?"  
  
He has searched every corner of their shelter, every nook and cranny-- not that there are many-- with no luck. There is no sign of Daesung anywhere.  
  
Then it wafts past him, something full-bodied and earthy and _warm_ amid the crisp air, and Seunghyun instantly feels like the most incompetent wolf on the face of the planet. He puts his nose to work and is soon following the faintest of scent trails, not familiar enough yet with the other wolf's scent to pinpoint it exactly, but there is _something_ there for him to latch onto, at least. Something unique, something different, something... alluring.  
  
Ah. _There_.  
  
He finds Daesung outside, seated on his ass on the ground, with his back against the trunk of a tree just a short distance from their, well... their shack, if it can be called that. It isn't much, but it's home.  
  
"Outside? Really?"  
  
At his voice Daesung jumps in surprise, dark eyes flashing in the moonlight. "I've been out here for awhile. I like it out here," he says in reply.  
  
"Okay. Well, are you, uh," Seunghyun starts awkwardly. "Are you coming to bed anytime soon?" The words feel strange to him the moment they leave his mouth. He has never said that to anyone but the two young wolves already inside, buried comfortably in their nest of blankets, probably passed out already. Achieving sleep has never exactly been difficult for any of them.  
  
"To bed?"  
  
"Yeah, it's... Well, we don't have beds, but we have blankets. Lots of them. It's warm, at least." Seunghyun fidgets under Daesung's blank stare, squeezing at his fingers just to have something to do-- and immediately hates himself for it. To fidget is to show uncertainty. To fidget is to show _weakness_. He straightens up and drops hands to his sides. "Or are you just gonna sit out here all night?"  
  
Daesung stares at him. "It's that late?"  
  
"I don't know what time you're used to bedding down," Seunghyun gripes, "but we don't usually stay up all night. Not without a good reason."  
  
"Oh." Daesung watches him a moment longer. Then he looks away, his gaze drawn irresistibly back to something in the clear night sky-- the moon, the stars, who the fuck knows. It's brilliant, but it's nothing they haven't seen before, and Seunghyun just wants to go back inside.  
  
" _Oh_ ," Seunghyun mimics, prompting him for more.  
  
"Okay, sure," Daesung blinks owlishly. "Yeah. I could... I could sleep."  
  
"Good." He waits. Daesung doesn't move, so Seunghyun takes a step closer.  
  
"And anyway... it's fucking _cold_. Aren't you cold?" Seunghyun rubs furiously at his arms to ward off the night's chill. He looks pointedly at the other boy's short sleeves. That's Seunghyun's shirt that Daesung is wearing, and Seunghyun's pants; Daesung's own clothes were damp and heavy after his quick dip in the pond earlier that morning and have been hung to dry. It looks good on him, but...  
  
Nevermind the short sleeves, the shirt's fabric is thin and flimsy, not especially insulating. How can he stand it?  
  
"I'm okay," Daesung says listlessly.  
  
"Whatever," Seunghyun grumbles to himself. "You shouldn't stay out here. Unless you want to freeze."  
  
To that Daesung says nothing, but he does at least begin to gather his feet under him. Slowly, too slowly for Seunghyun who is quickly growing irritated at his excessive sluggishness amidst the biting cold.  
  
So Seunghyun loses his patience and goes to him at last, covering the distance in a few long, hurried strides, and takes the other boy by the arm.  
  
"God, you're freezing," he hisses as his fingers close around bare skin, cold as ice.  
  
"I'm okay," Daesung repeats.  
  
"Come _on_ already," Seunghyun says, hauling Daesung to his feet, urging him along, practically dragging him the distance as he spins on his heel and heads back to their shelter. "Let's get inside."  
  
Trying and failing to keep up, Daesung loses his footing and stumbles, but with an iron grip on his bicep Seunghyun does not let him fall, only pulls him along as if it never happened. No time to waste when there are bodily comforts waiting for him inside. Inside, where there is shelter from the elements, layers of blankets piled high for their return, and beneath all that... the shared heat of their bodies as they huddle close throughout the night.  
  
His face suddenly burning and not sure why, Seunghyun tugs Daesung along behind him, back to where he belongs inside his home.  
  
No... Inside their home.

 

 

\--

 

 

By the time they make it into the bedroom Jiyong and Youngbae are, as expected, both sound asleep, emitting soft noises in slumber as they breathe steadily in and out, in and out. The peaceful scene would be enough to lull Seunghyun to sleep in a matter of moments were this a night like any other.  
  
But it is not a night like any other, because this night Seunghyun has one more for company in his makeshift bed of blankets on the floor. It is little more than a pile of quilts knitted from sturdy fabric, thin but weighted, and downy comforters, soft and light as clouds. All are a little ragged and worn, marred by rips and tears and fraying edges, but that is okay. What little they have is good enough for the three of them. Now the four of them. On one side are Jiyong and Youngbae, his packmates and brothers for several years now. On the other side, Daesung.  
  
Daesung, who lies beside him stiffly, the tension radiating off of him so thick and palpable Seunghyun imagines he could reach out and rake his claws through it. The other wolf had begun to shiver violently not a minute after Seunghyun had pulled him under the blankets as his body, numb from exposure, had soon warmed enough to realize that, hey, it was actually _really fucking cold_ outside. His tremors have since subsided.  
  
"Better?"  
  
"Yeah," Daesung replies so softly Seunghyun's ears strain to hear it.  
  
How long had he been out there, anyway? Seunghyun had opted to give him space after Jiyong had scared the pants off of him earlier that day; with a little help from Youngbae, their excited alpha had peeled Daesung's soaked pants right off him and marveled at what he had found underneath, to their newest member's obvious dismay. Seunghyun recalls how Daesung had plastered himself against the wall, wanting desperately to put distance between himself and these new wolves who were so keen to put their hands on him, yet too frightened to simply turn and flee.  
  
It is good he hadn't. He would not have made it far; they are predators after all, and their instinct to _chase_ would have set them upon him immediately. He supposes Daesung has realized that already. Perhaps he is miles ahead of Seunghyun in that regard.  
  
And so here they are, he and Daesung sharing a blanket with only inches separating them, ready for sleep but neither finding it. And though Seunghyun is once again pleasantly warm, Daesung's back to him leaves him feeling somehow cold.  
  
An oppressive silence stretches on between them. Seunghyun suffers through it for a while, counting their breaths in the quiet until he loses count and decides he can take no more. He does not have to put up with this. He _won't_.  
  
He rolls over and wraps Daesung up in his arms in a great, big, bear hug. His sudden, playful touch nearly sends the other boy flying out of his skin in fright.  
  
"Hello," Seunghyun says with a toothy grin, laying the side of his narrow face against Daesung's rounder one.  
  
"Uh," Daesung says, holding perfectly still under him. "Hello? You're on my tail."  
  
"Oh, uh," Seunghyun lifts his hips enough to free Daesung's tail, fitting it snugly between them. Some of the furs find their way up under Seunghyun's shirt above his waistband and tickle his skin.  
  
"So were you just planning on freezing to death out there? You have a heavy coat, you know," Seunghyun says flippantly. Then he remembers the pond, the satisfaction of sending the other wolf into the water with a well-placed, well-timed _shove_... "Oh. It's still wet."  
  
"Of course not," Daesung says. "I just... I really love the moon and stars. Seems cliche, doesn't it? Exactly what you would expect. A wolf staring up at the moon, unable to tear his eyes away." He grins weakly as he says it; Seunghyun can feel the pull of his cheek against his own. "I lost track of time, is all."  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Sometimes I get lost in my thoughts. Sorry."  
  
_Good thing I came along and pulled you inside before you became a wolf-sized icicle_ , Seunghyun thinks with equal amounts amusement and disgruntlement. He had not invited Daesung into the pack only to lose him in the same day to something so mundane as cold weather.  
  
"That's fine. Thoughts are fine, just... Don't get too lost, okay?" Seunghyun says dismissively. "Now I want to ask you another question."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You might not like it, but I'm going to ask you anyway. And I want you to answer."  
  
"...Okay."  
  
"Today," Seunghyun starts, "You said that your pack tried to remove my scent. But they couldn't."  
  
"Yes... my old pack."  
  
"Yeah." This is Daesung's pack now. _He_ is Daesung's pack-- or a significant part of it, anyway. "What did you mean by that?"  
  
"What do you think?" Daesung says after a long moment, incredulous. His head turns slightly, tilting just enough in Seunghyun's direction to convey his disbelief at what Seunghyun is asking. "How does one wolf remove another's scent?"  
  
_By replacing it with his own_ , Seunghyun answers silently. Daesung needs say no more. But there is still something he wants to know.  
  
"How many...?"  
  
"How many? Really?" Daesung rolls away from him a bit as he groans, "It doesn't matter."  
  
Seunghyun pulls him back. "How many?"  
  
"Why do you want to know? Why is it important to you?"  
  
"How many," Seunghyun repeats stubbornly. He is not willing to let this drop. He wants-- no, _needs_ \-- to know.  
  
" _All of them_ ," Daesung hisses. "Happy?"  
  
"Which is... how many?"  
  
"I don't know!" Daesung finally snaps. "Fuck, maybe six? Seven?" With his hand pressed to Daesung's chest Seunghyun can feel how the other's heart rate spikes during the outburst, his pulse picking up speed under his palm. Whether at the memory of what he'd been through or simply in irritation at him, he doesn't know.  
  
_Shit_. Seunghyun winces. "That's... Are you okay?" he says, not sure why he is asking or if he even wants to know the answer.  
  
Daesung turns away again, sullen. "I am now."  
  
_I'm sorry_ , Seunghyun does not say. He thinks he should speak the words, unsure if he really feels them, but Daesung might like to hear them anyway, right? Yet his mouth is a cage that holds them, his sharp teeth bars through which the sentiment cannot escape. Seunghyun is unpracticed at apologies. Instead, he hums in acknowledgement against the nape of Daesung's neck where his scent is pleasant and, now that he has him close, surprisingly familiar already. He smells a lot like, well... like him. Like Seunghyun.  
  
There really is some truth to this whole scent marking thing, isn't there? Who knew?  
  
"It was a mid-sized pack and they didn't take kindly to a rival wolf coming along and rubbing himself all over their omega," Daesung continues, quieter now.  
  
_'All over?' **Into** is more like it_ , Seunghyun muses, the thought tinged with mischievous pride.  
  
"They had to do something about it, and fast. They were compelled to. You know how it is," Daesung says with an air of resignation. His voice drops to a whisper and between them Seunghyun can feel his tail retreating, tucking in between his legs in remembered pain. "That was... That was not a good day."  
  
Now it is Seunghyun's turn to be silent. He is beginning to feel a little bad, a little responsible-- even a little ashamed. He cannot, in fact, say he knows how it is. He has never been in that situation before, not on either side of it. He does not know what Daesung has been through, and he does not think he likes hearing about it. Perhaps he should never have asked.  
  
"And yes, you heard right," Daesung continues just as softly. "I said omega."  
  
"You did."  
  
"Does that bother you?"  
  
"No. Not at all," Seunghyun mutters. He is not surprised, really. Had sort of suspected the first time he and Daesung met, thought he had the other pegged simply by the way he had turned tail and fled at merely the sight of him.  
  
Seunghyun is not an alpha wolf, has never been one and does not particularly want the responsibility of leading and caring for an entire pack, large or small. He isn't an alpha, but he knows he often bears the aura of one. And wolves like Daesung, sweetly compliant and almost docile in nature, certainly make him _feel_ like one.  
  
"Nothing has changed," Daesung continues. "I was their omega before and now I'll be yours. You won't have to worry about me... vying for power or anything like that. I don't care about that." He tucks his head into his half of their shared pillow, mumbling, "It's fine. I'm used to it."  
  
"That will make things easier."  
  
"Yeah. So don't worry," Daesung murmurs, so softly Seunghyun almost misses it. "I'm not... damaged goods, or whatever you might think."  
  
Seunghyun bites him on the shoulder, _hard_.  
  
"Ow!" Daesung yelps. " _Ow_ , what was that for? Why--"  
  
Seunghyun grins wickedly down at him. "Maybe I like you a little damaged," he says.  
  
" _Guys_ ," they hear from a few spaces over, Youngbae's tired voice drifting up and over the few feet between them. "Not tonight? Please?"  
  
Where Seunghyun is still cheek-to-cheek with him Daesung's face burns, in outrage or embarrassment Seunghyun cannot say. He holds Daesung there like that, skin-to-skin with him because he wants to know everything the other is feeling as profoundly as he can without climbing right inside him and-- and _inhabiting_ him.  
  
_Well, that's a strange thought_ , Seunghyun thinks. _Strangely appealing_.  
  
He also appreciates how his proximity seems to put Daesung on edge, how invading the boy's space makes him fret and whine in protest in a fashion that Seunghyun knows deep down is not entirely genuine. Daesung's struggling awakens something savage in Seunghyun, evokes a desire to thrust his limbs and all his weight upon him-- crowding him, covering him, surrounding him, _smothering_ him.  
  
He will get used to it soon enough. If Seunghyun has his way, there will be plenty of time and opportunities for Daesung to adjust to his borderline oppressive brand of affection.  
  
"You're feistier than I expected," Seunghyun says, fingers finding the spot where his teeth met skin and rubbing at it placatingly. Maybe he had chomped on him a little harder than he'd meant to, but there is just something about the other boy...  
  
"I'm really not, not normally. I'm just..." Daesung huffs, seeming only a little miffed. Absentmindedly, he lifts a hand to rub at the mark, the indentation of teeth already fading. Seunghyun swats it away.  
  
"Just...?"  
  
"Just a little nervous, I guess." Daesung leaves it at that.  
  
Seunghyun understands. Daesung is more than just nervous. He is _afraid_ , is holding himself so taut that Seunghyun fears he might snap like a dry twig if he keeps prodding him. Daesung's nerves are wound so tightly he would probably vibrate right out from under their shared blanket sometime in the night if Seunghyun was not holding him to himself so securely.  
  
Seunghyun does not want that. So he hugs him closer and says, "It's okay," because he knows it will be. Even if for Daesung things are not quite 'okay' right now, at this present moment, Seunghyun is confident that they will be. Soon. Eventually. Daesung will find his place here in due time.  
  
"It's just new. It's all new," the other boy starts up again, chattering on in muted tones, as if to himself.  
  
"New doesn't have to mean bad," Seunghyun points out.  
  
"Yeah," Daesung breathes. "But no, I didn't mean to imply that this is bad. It isn't. Thank you for taking me in, is what I mean to say. Without a pack I don't know that I would have--" _Survived_ , Seunghyun thinks, filling in the blank for him. "I just don't know why--"  
  
"I don't know why either," Seunghyun rumbles, rolling over Daesung's pleasantly soft and airy voice with his own deeper, fuller one, effectively cutting him off. "But you're here now, so... let's just try to make the best of it."  
  
He likes the other boy's voice already, could probably fall asleep to the sound of it as he talks, but his nervous rambling is slowly making Seunghyun crazy. It has to stop, hopefully soon.  
  
"Yeah," Daesung repeats, and this time it sounds like he means it, like he is finally, after everything, taking Seunghyun's words to heart. "Thanks."  
  
Seunghyun adjusts his grip on the boy, sliding arms from around his chest to that ever so slightly more cushioned place just over his hip. As expected of a fit, young male of their kind, Daesung's body is built of hard lines and sharp edges, his back and shoulders broad and nicely defined under Seunghyun's searching hands... but from what little of him Seunghyun has seen and felt so far, he does have a few soft spots. This is one of them.  
  
Seunghyun's arms rest more easily there, is all. It has nothing to do with him wanting to palm discreetly at the other's belly, firm and attractively toned yet still more yielding to Seunghyun's inquisitive touch than the rest of him. He wants to dip fingers in insistently and find all of Daesung's soft places, wants to map every point on his body that will give under the press and hold of his kneading hands.  
  
It's Daesung's first night here with him-- with all of them. Jiyong and Youngbae are only a few feet away, probably sleeping but possibly lying awake in the dark and eavesdropping. It can be hard to tell with those two; Seunghyun falls for their tricks more often than he is ready to admit.  
  
So it is Daesung's first night here and the others might very well be listening in, but Seunghyun has never been known for his restraint, and now that his hands are free to roam there is one thing he is finding he likes even better than Daesung's voice: Daesung's _skin_. Already he aches to examine his new packmate further, longs to smooth his hands over every exquisite inch of him. And by the end, he wants to send his hungry hands straight down the center of Daesung's body to that heated place between his thighs, wants to close fingers around what he knows is nestled there, warm and heavy and waiting for his touch.  
  
And with a little skill and a touch of luck, Daesung will respond favorably to his declaration of intent, will part his legs and give Seunghyun unimpeded access to what he seeks. There is one soft part of the boy in his arms that he wants to find and feel with a greater thirst than all the rest-- a soft part of Daesung that, with deft fingers and a firm touch, Seunghyun will make full and _hard_.

He bites back a groan at the thought.  
  
With hands slung low on the other's belly Seunghyun can feel his heat just inches away. His fingers twitch, itching for more. Seunghyun has been inside Daesung, yet he has not actually touched him _there_ , not in front, not yet. A quick and fast handjob would be enough to satisfy his curiosity for tonight. It might even calm the other boy down enough to put an end to his anxious rambling and seemingly endless stream of self-deprecation.  
  
Seunghyun does not want to hear Daesung putting himself down like that. Daesung is with him now, is his to care for, his to keep. His responsibility. Seunghyun had brought him into the pack, if somewhat inadvertently. Now he needs to bring him up within it, something Daesung's former pack neglected to do for him.  
  
Bastards.  
  
Daesung may be their omega now, but that doesn't mean he will be treated as anything less than the rest of them. Not if Seunghyun has anything to do with it.  
  
He waits a very long time, waits with more patience than he knew he had in him while he weighs the merits of touching and taking what he wants as he has always done, against the alternative: leaving Daesung alone and letting him sleep. He waits and deliberates, impressed with his own newfound discipline-- until Daesung snuffles into the pillow suddenly, and Seunghyun realizes the other boy's breath has slowed, the rise and fall of his chest evening out as he sailed away from Seunghyun and into a surprisingly relaxed sleep.  
  
Asleep already. Amazing.  
  
And so Seunghyun squeezes eyes shut in resolve, wills his own cock in its half-aroused state to _stand down_. He wants Daesung tonight, wants him _now_ , is actually taken aback by how he wants to waste no time in getting to know the other wolf better, all of him. But Daesung clearly does not want him, not now that he is lost to dreams. It has been a long day for the both of them, and together he and his packmates have frightened Daesung enough already. Seunghyun supposes he has some work ahead of him if he ever hopes to earn the other's trust.  
  
Seunghyun can wait. Not for too long, but... he can wait. He _can_. Daesung will be here in the morning, locked up in his arms just as he is now because, well, Seunghyun knows how solidly he clings to warm bodies in sleep. Jiyong and Youngbae have complained to him about it often enough. Maybe they will finally stop waking him in the night to peel his arms from around themselves, now that he has someone new to hold.  
  
So Seunghyun tucks his forehead snugly against the nape of Daesung's neck and concludes that there will be plenty of time for the exploration he so desires. Tonight is only the first of many to come. Tonight he will keep his hands not to himself, but above the waist at least. He will let Daesung sleep.  
  
Soon Seunghyun finds himself succumbing to sleep as well, that familiar sense of drifting aimlessly rolling over him like a thick fog. Just before he drops off, only a few languid breaths away from following his new packmate into slumber, he tips his face in close and murmurs against the shell of Daesung's ear in the warmest, kindest voice he can muster, the words made a little clumsy with impending sleep, "You're one of ours now. We'll take care of you."  
  
Daesung does not stir. Satisfied, Seunghyun settles in, and with fingers laced and strong arms encircling the other's slim hips, he lets his dreams claim him.

 

 

 

 


	2. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, where did this come from? Surprise! This now has two chapters. And there goes that M rating that I had been hoping to hold onto...

 

 

 

 

When Seunghyun wakes the following morning, it is a slow process. Awareness comes to him in stages. Through closed lids he sees the soft morning light; reluctant to open his eyes to the dawn, not ready to meet the promises and perils of a new day, he lingers there in feigned sleep, languid and serene. With arms around his new packmate Seunghyun soaks up the other wolf's presence, his front fastened solidly to Daesung's broad back. Was the night truly so cold, or did he dream that? Seunghyun wonders, the air beneath the blankets damp and hot, almost uncomfortably so, their sweat between them all but sealing them together as if they never once parted in the hours they've slept.  
  
Perhaps they haven't. Unusual for Seunghyun, a notoriously active sleeper. As for Daesung, who can say? In the circle of Seunghyun's arms he has nowhere to go but nearer; after all, asleep or awake, Seunghyun is not likely to give up his new bed warmer.  
  
Because Daesung is _on fire_ , his body throwing off incredible heat. Everywhere their bare skin touches Seunghyun revels in his pleasant warmth. His limbs are lax with sleep, and Seunghyun finds himself tempted to test their resistance, to arrange the boy's arms and pose him as he pleases, here when he is too rooted in sleep to refuse him.  
  
But why ruin this moment? To curb the urge Seunghyun hugs Daesung harder, his clasped arms pulling him in further.  
  
Where his nose is buried in Daesung's ruffled hair he hits upon the scent of moist earth and crushed grass and-- is that cedar? As he noses in closer he find bits and pieces of bark, no doubt from the tree Daesung had sat propped against the night before. The tiny, fragrant chips leave his shaggy head of hair smelling distinctly like the woodland where they have made their home.  
  
For one dreamlike moment Seunghyun wonders if he had truly plucked the other wolf up-- from out of the pond, from off the ground, and before that, straight from within the confines of his previous pack. His mind still half sunk in dreams, he entertains the idea that Daesung had not trailed him home, that instead he had emerged from the soil all on his own, sprouting from the dirt as solid and sturdy as the trees themselves. His torso the trunk, his legs and arms the branches, his fingers and toes like twigs, reaching for him.  
  
It is a strange vision for sure, but Seunghyun cannot bring himself to care.  
  
His mind adrift, he is more comfortable and more content than any morning in recent memory, remnants of dreams he scarcely recalls soon fading to nothing like early morning mist under the sun's first rays. He suffers none of his usual ferocity upon waking, that restless need to lurch to his feet and hurl himself at the world strangely absent. He feels soothed. He feels sedated. Toward the boy still sleeping soundly in his arms he feels surprisingly... sentimental.  
  
This, finally, is enough to jolt him awake.  
  
He shifts the tiniest bit. A twitch of his hips brings his groin flush against Daesung's ass-- another soft part of the boy that he intends to investigate soon, this time with painstaking care-- and Seunghyun realizes he feels something else for the other boy, a very specific sort of fondness.  
  
He is astoundingly, achingly hard.  
  
Lazily, he rolls his hips forward. Daesung is warm and solid and so _inviting_ , and that is more than enough for him. His arms tighten over Daesung's hips, pulling him nearer to where Seunghyun wants him-- where Seunghyun _needs_ him. Where Daesung's borrowed shirt has ridden up in the night his belly is revealed to Seunghyun's searching hands, vulnerable to his touch; Seunghyun takes advantage of that, his curiosity from the previous night returning full force. There is muscle just beneath the surface, but with Daesung still soundly asleep, it offers up little resistance to Seunghyun's prodding; the soft skin gives way under his palm.  
  
He waits for a reaction... But Daesung does not stir, sunk so deep in such heavy slumber that Seunghyun wonders, very suddenly, just how much he can get away with before the other boy breaks free of sleep's stubborn hold.  
  
So Seunghyun explores heartily, the expanse of skin beneath his fingers exciting his awakening appetite as he dines on Daesung with hands hungry to feel-- no, to _feed_. To caress him is to consume him, to fondle him is to feast on him. Desire dictates that he sweep hands over all of Daesung quickly, to swallow him up as if starved... But Seunghyun reminds himself to take it slow for a change, to savor, tasting not with his tongue but meticulously, with the tips of his fingers.  
  
As his hands roam, ravenous for more of the other wolf, one of them journeys far south enough that it bumps into something that, for all his enthusiasm, he did not anticipate. Something thick and heavy with blood, and very, very hard.  
  
_Oh_.  
  
Seunghyun grins, now fully, fiercely awake. So he is not alone in his need. He cannot help the full-body shiver of anticipation that overtakes him then, how his own cock _throbs_ and fills further with blood, purposeful and proud where it digs into the small of Daesung's back.  
  
He has waited long enough, Seunghyun decides. He let Daesung sleep. Now it is morning, the sun has risen, its soft light spilling across their bodies through the room's lone window high on the wall. As far as Seunghyun is concerned it's time to wake up, time to rise and meet the coming day.  
  
One prominent part of Daesung has already risen. It's high time Seunghyun woke the rest of him.  
  
Slowly, his hand creeps inward toward the junction of Daesung's thighs, fingers smoothing over the soft fabric of his shorts. Seunghyun had convinced him to ditch the pants before bedding down, but the underwear had remained, the fabric clinging to slim hips. With curious fingers he traces the outline of the other boy's cock where it strains against the front of his shorts, getting to know his shape and size, gently inquisitive.  
  
Then he pushes hard with the heel of his hand, giving his sex a good, solid rub.  
  
Daesung jerks in his sleep, hips thrusting his cock up and into Seunghyun's palm. Though a groan escapes him, a guttural sound unlike anything Seunghyun has heard from him yet, he does not wake.  
  
A heavy sleeper, then. He will just have to try a little harder.  
  
In a swift motion Seunghyun's hand dives under the waistband of Daesung's shorts and takes hold of him, long fingers wrapping eagerly around his stiff shaft. Here his skin is not just warm, no, but fiery hot to the touch. Seunghyun loves it, relishes his amazing heat. Wasting no time, he squeezes and gives the cock in his hand a determined stroke from root to tip.  
  
Daesung wakes at last.  
  
" _Wha_ \--" His question ends in another of those long, low groans that Seunghyun is finding he can't get enough of.  
  
"Good morning," Seunghyun croons, nipping at the lobe of Daesung's ear. His hand works steadily on the other boy, pumping quickly and efficiently between his legs with a kind of practiced ease. Flush against Daesung's back like this, with only a thin shirt and skin-tight boxer briefs between them, it isn't so different from touching himself, really.  
  
"Oh, fuck. Oh _fuck_ ," Daesung gasps sharply, his hips following after Seunghyun's hand. He braces his own on the floor for better leverage. "You--"  
  
"Good?" Seunghyun says, his own building arousal leaving him short of breath. Daesung's throaty sighs are obscene and, frankly, _intoxicating_ , and the sudden rush of what feels like all of his remaining blood straight to his cock leaves Seunghyun feeling suddenly faint, his pounding heart sending down what feels like the entire supply. Soon his own hips are in motion too, joining in the dance and grinding against Daesung's ass, the friction both easing the ache and making it much worse. It is the best and the worst torment.  
  
"Yeah, that's-- oh, _ohh_ ," Daesung moans, the sound as ragged as if Seunghyun had reached in and dragged it up and out of him-- which, Seunghyun thinks, is not far from the truth. He could listen to the other boy make sounds like that all day, every day, forever.  
  
Feeling wicked, Seunghyun lets up for a moment to slide his hand down, reaching a bit and curving under through coarse curls until he has Daesung's balls in a solid grip. He gives his handful a little squeeze-- not too hard, but full of promise and mischievous intent.  
  
Daesung's thighs tense, his knees coming up and together a little in protest.  
  
"No?" Seunghyun teases.  
  
Daesung grimaces with a face that is flushed and beginning to shine with sweat. Seunghyun wants to lick it off; the other wolf may smell like the outdoors, like all that is natural and wild, but he bets his skin tastes of salt.  
  
"It's a little..."  
  
"What, don't get touched here often?" Seunghyun cups his sac in his palm, appreciating the weight while at the same time testing Daesung's tolerance. He did resolve to explore all of his soft places, did he not?  
  
"It's okay, just... not so _hard_ ," Daesung replies, close to whining as Seunghyun squeezes him again, a little harder this time, his excitement getting the better of him. Daesung's spine curves and hips shrink away as he tries in vain to duck out of his hold-- with Seunghyun behind him there is nowhere for him to go, really-- and Seunghyun finally takes pity on him.  
  
"We'll work on that," he promises, returning to his cock. Daesung doesn't ask, and just like that they resume their steady rhythm, Daesung thrusting eagerly into the tunnel of Seunghyun's hand while his fingers curl into the blanket under him.  
  
Just as he had felt Daesung's heartbeat the night before through the hand on his chest, Seunghyun can now feel his pulse through the hand on his cock. He presses his thumb to the vein on the underside and measures the beat of the other boy's blood racing through him at a frenzied pace.  
  
"Close yet?"  
  
He licks a broad stripe up the side of Daesung's neck, tasting the fine sheen of sweat there. Salty, as expected. Seunghyun flattens his tongue to the roof of his mouth and savors it.  
  
"Soon, I think," Daesung pants, his breaths labored and coming faster by the minute. And suddenly Seunghyun finds the slide of his hand up and down his cock smoother than before, a clear line of pre-come oozing from the tip. At the height of every stroke his fingers catch the slick and carry it back down his shaft.  
  
"Yeah?" Seunghyun sighs into the side of his neck, the wet sounds of skin slipping over smooth skin as he pleasures Daesung almost too much for him. "You're-- you're leaking. _Fuck,_ that's hot. This is easier though. Better." Daesung's face and neck, already flushed red, darken further. But even the deepest flush on his face cannot compare to his cock, a brilliant blood-red against the white ring of Seunghyun's tightly-curled fingers.  
  
And so because it is easier and much, much better now, Seunghyun ramps up his speed and pressure, his impatience to pull the other boy over the edge rising by the minute. At the change Daesung twists, turning his face into his pillow and his chest nearly to the floor, breathy, pleasured sounds falling without restraint from parted lips. Every shallow gasp of his shoots straight to Seunghyun's own cock like a bullet, so full he fears he might burst at any moment.  
  
His own control slips, and he props himself up on his free arm for leverage as the steady grinding he had carefully maintained dissolves into wild rutting against Daesung's backside. He wants so badly to slot himself between the other's cheeks-- his own slick dampening the front of his shorts would make the slide so effortless, so _easy_ \-- if only those damn shorts of his weren't in the way.  
  
"I'm gonna--" Daesung grits his teeth.  
  
" _Come on_ , then," Seunghyun fusses when nothing happens, when Daesung doesn't come. He is _beyond_ ready for this. This has gone on long enough. "I want you to. Don't tell me you're holding back."  
  
Daesung doesn't answer that. Seunghyun gapes at him.  
  
"Oh my god," Seunghyun groans-- in actual fucking _pain_. "Don't tell me you're too _shy_."  
  
Daesung cranes his head around just enough to shoot him a quick glare from the corner of one eye. "Ugh, no. It's just... the blankets..." He drops the glare and suddenly seems a little panicked, an odd expression on a face otherwise awash with pleasure.  
  
"Seriously?" Seunghyun laughs. "Don't worry about that! Focus on _this_."  
  
"But," Whatever he was going to say dies as Seunghyun digs the pad of his thumb into his slit; more slick seeps out and he shudders.  
  
"We'll wash them later," Seunghyun says into the back of his neck, grinning. "Or maybe we won't. You live here now. Might as well put your scent on a few things."  
  
At that Daesung whimpers, and to Seunghyun he sounds as close as he ever has. Daesung's hand flies to his cock, covering the head as if to catch whatever comes out. Seunghyun huffs and bats it away.  
  
"No, come on, come on. _Let go already_ ," he growls, his arm actually beginning to fucking _ache_. He had planned to tease the other boy for his stamina when this was all over-- for his lack of, to be clear-- had fully expected him to come unstrung with minimal handling. Who'd have guessed?  
  
Glancing down at the action Seunghyun's eyes find the bite mark from the night before on Daesung's shoulder. Experimentally, he touches his teeth to it and that's it for Daesung.  
  
When Daesung comes at last it is with the most _vulgar_ sound, a cry as primal as the wolf blood in his veins. His head falls back against Seunghyun, his mouth falls open, and his tail lashes, hips stabbing forward into Seunghyun's hand one last time as he gives in to the inevitable result of Seunghyun's efforts. So preoccupied is he with Daesung's undisguised pleasure that Seunghyun almost doesn't get his hand up in time to catch the semen that spills from the end of his cock, hot and viscous against his palm.  
  
For a moment neither of them draws breath, Daesung lost in his pleasure, Seunghyun lost in him. Then, spent, Daesung sags back against him, boneless and perfectly sated.  
  
"Goddamn," Seunghyun breathes, his gaze fixed on the other's face in profile-- the glimpse of Daesung's tongue just visible through parted lips, his lashes fanning out from shuttered eyes, the sharp outline of his nose and the contour of his defined jaw. Seunghyun drinks in the sight with insatiable eyes.  
  
Daesung's throat bobs as he swallows; Seunghyun's eyes track the movement as closely as they would prey fleeing from him into the woods. He stares at Daesung's neck with interest and decides that the other wolf's clear skin would look good dotted with a few marks here and there-- marks of his making.  
  
But there is come cooling in his hand, and something needs to be done about it.  
  
Seunghyun flips his wrist and stares, his eyes darting between it and Daesung's open mouth. Then he leans in close and lifts his hand to the other's lips, offering up the mess pooled in his cupped palm. Daesung makes a face of disgust and turns away.  
  
Seunghyun pouts. "No?" He tries again.  
  
"No," Daesung refuses once, twice, pursing his lips and dodging his hand every time. " _No_."  
  
Stubborn, then, at least when he wants to be. Two can play at that game, but Seunghyun is feeling generous right now. Perhaps another time. He shrugs, rucks Daesung's shirt up to his chest, and smears the slick across his exposed abs.  
  
"Wha-- _hey!_ " Daesung yelps. Seunghyun grabs him by the hip and pulls, rolling him flat on his back. The cross expression on Daesung's face pulls a bark of laughter out of him.  
  
"What's wong? It's yours!" he exclaims, taunting the other boy as he crouches over him. "Too dirty for you?"  
  
"Why wipe it on _me?_ You just said the blankets didn't matter."  
  
"You're easier to clean," Seunghyun states, and with that he settles between strong thighs and dives in wholeheartedly, moving down the length of Daesung's lean body and polishing those enticing abs of his with a tongue all-too-eager to taste.  
  
" _Ah_ , you're," Daesung gasps in a voice choked with pain. "You're on my tail again." Seunghyun glances down, and sure enough he is; his knee is planted squarely on the end of the other wolf's silvery tail.  
  
"Oops." He sweeps Daesung's tail aside where it won't get in the way a third time and returns to his work. So he is a little careless at times, so what? He makes up for it in other ways.  
  
He is going to try Daesung's flavor, and he won't let a drop go to waste.  
  
Daesung sucks in a ragged breath, abdominal muscles jumping under the sweep of Seunghyun's tongue. As he reaches the button of his belly Seunghyun licks and nibbles around it for a bit, enjoying how the other boy's breath hitches at each touch of his teeth to taut skin.  
  
Then his tongue dips _into_ it, and that's it. After everything, Daesung is finally, truly done. His head drops to the pillow as he gives in-- gives _up_ \-- and lets Seunghyun just have his way with him.  
  
_It's about damn time_ , Seunghyun thinks, both satisfied with his work and impressed with the boy's grit. As he works his way down his jaw bumps against the other's forgotten cock, resting in the crease where hip meets thigh. He draws back and gives it a long, considering look.  
  
Acting quickly-- he has to, there is little time to spare, it might be too late already-- Seunghyun wraps his hand again around it, gripping tightly at the base where he is thickest. Daesung is still firm, has not gone soft yet... that's promising. Daesung makes a soft sound.  
  
"I wonder," Seunghyun says with deliberate slowness, head cocked to one side.  
  
"What," Daesung manages, still a bit dazed. "Have what?"  
  
Seunghyun waits expectantly. He holds fast, fingers in a tight ring, completely still while under him, Daesung just breathes.  
  
And then he feels it. In his hand Daesung's cock begins to swell anew, right there above his fingers, a section of the shaft expanding and swelling up until it is a sizeable ball of solid, unyielding flesh.  
  
The knot. An irrefutable mark of his wolf ancestry and an undeniably canine characteristic, one of very few that remain to them this far removed from the source. After all, humans don't possess knots. Wolves do.  
  
"You _do_ ," Seunghyun breathes, staring down at Daesung's knot, tight and hot under his hand. "You've got it too."  
  
Daesung sits up enough to give him a look of puzzlement. "The knot? Yeah, so?"  
  
Seunghyun's head snaps up and he grins at the other boy, his expression a little wild. "Welcome to the pack-- officially."  
  
"Officially?"  
  
"Yes, officially. You really are one of us." Seunghyun gives him a squeeze. "This is proof."  
  
The other boy seems suddenly alarmed. "What if I didn't? Not all wolves have knots these days. You wouldn't have, what, kicked me out... would you?"  
  
Seunghyun says nothing, only peers down curiously at the knot he helped form, swollen now to full size. It looks almost absurd like this, he will admit, but despite its odd appearance the knot does have a purpose. It plays a role in reproduction-- something about aiding conception-- but its effect is largely lost on Seunghyun who prefers the company of other boys.  
  
And he does not care about that, anyway. Children are for someone else, are meant for other wolves. Not one so free and wild as himself. All he knows is that it had felt incredible when he had pushed in and plugged Daesung with his knot that night when he had chanced upon him.  
  
...And he remembers how it had _hurt like hell_ when he'd had to pull out-- pull _free_ \-- prematurely. Seunghyun had been sore between the legs for days after.  
  
It had been worth it though. _So_ worth it. He wants to do it again, and soon.  
  
Daesung gapes at him for his silence. In a small voice he says, "Really?"  
  
"Hold on, I'm thinking about it." Seunghyun's brows furrow as if deep in thought, and he bites his lip to keep from smiling.  
  
But Daesung continues to gawk at him. In fact, he looks a little hurt, and Seunghyun can take it no more. His humor-- and the tiniest pang of sympathy-- wins out in the end, and a big, damning grin soon fights its way onto his face, beyond his control.  
  
Daesung collapses back to the bed of blankets. "Oh my god. You're not serious. You're just pulling my leg."  
  
"Yeah." Seunghyun tugs on him lightly, playfully; the knot catches against his hand. "Well, one of them."  
  
Daesung groans, at his lame joke or at the stimulation on his cock Seunghyun cannot be sure. He finally takes pity on the boy.  
  
"You shouldn't believe even half of what I say," he advises.  
  
"Then why say it at all?"  
  
"Because you're cute when you're flustered," Seunghyun says, but in truth that is only a small part of it. Seunghyun picks on Daesung because he wants to see what will happen; pesters him because he is curious to know what the other wolf will do, how he will react. There flows through Daesung an energy that is so new and different from his own that Seunghyun cannot help his intrigue.  
  
He doesn't tell Daesung that he likes how when he badgers him his small eyes go wide and his jaw goes slack. How his face opens up as, for a brief moment, his walls come down. Seunghyun likes how when Daesung shows him shock or surprise, he feels like he is catching a glimpse of the other boy for who he is beneath the mask of indifference he presents when left alone. There is something deeper to Daesung, something Seunghyun desires desperately to unearth.  
  
Seunghyun does not know how he knows this, only that he does. Perhaps it is intuition, impossible for Seunghyun to wrap his head around. It could be instinct. Maybe, even, it is a sixth sense he never knew he had.  
  
Whatever the reason, only one thing is certain. Something inside of Daesung draws Seunghyun in; now Seunghyun wants to draw that something out.  
  
From across the room another voice joins them. "He's just looking for a reaction, you know," Jiyong says matter-of-factly, as if he has been listening in all along. Which, Seunghyun thinks, he probably has. It would be just like Jiyong to look on in secret as he and Daesung got each other off.  
  
At the sound of his voice Daesung jerks in surprise. Seunghyun, however, gives their leader little more than a passing glance.  
  
Jiyong's arm snakes out from under a pile of blankets and offers up a little wave in greeting. "Morning."  
  
"Liked what you saw, did you?" Seunghyun regards him lazily, as unconcerned as Daesung is uneasy.  
  
"Oh yeah, real nice." Jiyong yawns. "But you haven't had your turn yet, have you?" He gives a pointed look to Seunghyun's erection, still hard and heavy between his legs. Not forgotten-- far from it-- but simply on hold while Seunghyun engages in a little exploration.  
  
"We're getting there."  
  
Jiyong stretches languidly, a picture of perfect contentment. "Hmm. That's unlike you. When was the last time you were this charitable, I wonder."  
  
"Got a lot of new ground to cover," Seunghyun says suggestively, stroking a big hand up and down Daesung's side, the action broad and sweeping for everyone's enjoyment-- his, Daesung's, Jiyong's. He does not fight the smirk that springs to his lips at the way Jiyong's dark eyes lock onto the movement.  
  
Jiyong hums appreciatively at the sight. Then, to Daesung he says, "You're in good hands. When he's not losing his temper to an empty stomach or picking fights with rival packs, Seunghyun is a good guy. He may seem scary, but he's basically an overgrown pup."  
  
Seunghyun splutters. "A pup? Really, Jiyong?"  
  
"And just like a pup, he _will_ jump all over you and demand your attention, even at the most inopportune times. I guarantee you that." Seunghyun seethes, even as a hint of a smile plays at the corners of Daesung's lips.  
  
"I'm older than all of you!"  
  
"Ignore him and he'll leave you alone eventually. If you want to be left alone, that is."  
  
"Jiyong, come on," Seunghyun grouses.  
  
" _But_ ," Jiyong continues, paying him no mind, "Seunghyun is also nothing if not persistent. You'll need a lot of patience to wait him out." He studies Daesung for a moment. "You seem like the patient type."  
  
"I can be," Daesung confirms with a tentative smile.  
  
"Youngbae and I, we can handle him... But something tells me you're going to get the worst of it." He grins and winks at their newest packmate. "Stay strong, Daesung."  
  
"Uh, no, not true. Don't listen to him," Seunghyun butts in. He can't let this lie continue. "Ignore me and I'll only try harder. I thought you knew me better than that, Jiyong." He turns back to Daesung. "Because when I want something," he says, thumb stroking over the swell of Daesung's knot, "I reach out and _take_ it. The wolf way."  
  
He keeps the claws tucked, of course, but lets his sharp teeth out to play, canines descending to their full length. A promise and a threat. Daesung shivers.  
  
"So dramatic," Jiyong says about Seunghyun's theatrics. "Well, in any case, good luck."  
  
"And damnit, I'm not a _pup_." Seunghyun does his best not to sulk. Pushing his own shorts down, he grabs Daesung above the knee and swipes his cock against the inside of his thigh. The head leaves a slick and shiny trail where it drags over Daesung's soft skin. "Does this look like a pup to you?"  
  
Jiyong just laughs and climbs to his feet. "Gotta go. Nature calls. Keep on having fun, you two."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Seunghyun grumbles at his retreating back. The other wolf waddles out of the room and in the next moment he and Daesung are alone again-- well, truly alone this time. A cursory glance around them reveals that Youngbae is nowhere to be seen. Probably out chasing down breakfast, an avid hunter for as long as Seunghyun has known him.  
  
 He taps Daesung's knot. "So, tell me. When was the last time you locked up with someone?"  
  
"You're full of questions, aren't you?"  
  
"Maybe I just want to get to know you. Is that so wrong? You should ask me a few things too."  
  
Daesung is quiet then, eyes darting away as if the ceiling is suddenly the most fascinating thing in the room. "Actually, I... I haven't."  
  
"What, never? You poor thing." Seunghyun gives him a quick squeeze to draw him back. He wants Daesung's eyes on _him_ , not on their boring surroundings.  
  
"Well, why would I? It's kind of..." Daesung touches a hand to his knot, seeming frustrated. "It's supposed to mean something, isn't it?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe it means something. Maybe it doesn't." Seunghyun blinks back at him, lost.  
  
"I think something changes when you--" He stops, his jaw snapping shut so quickly Seunghyun hears the _click_ of his teeth meeting.  
  
"I'll admit I've never thought of it that way." Seunghyun peers down at where he holds the other tight. Like the rest of him, Daesung's knot is strong, healthy, well-formed. Shame he has not experienced it yet, has not taken the initiative to enjoy what pleasures this gift of his anatomy has to offer.  
  
"Hmm." Daesung hums noncommittally.  
  
"But I guess I can see how it might mean something to some wolves."  
  
"To some."  
  
Realization dawns on Seunghyun then. He looks the other boy right in the eyes as he says, "It means something to you."  
  
"Yes," Daesung murmurs, quiet but full of conviction. "It does."  
  
Seunghyun feels like the slowest wolf to ever exist. How did it take him so long to get it? To see that his and Daesung's feelings on the matter of their knots are very different? Possibly he is more dim-witted than he realized.  
  
Or maybe it is just that all the blood has left his brain to pool in his cock, which-- oh, by the way-- _still_ has not had its turn yet.  
  
As if hearing his thoughts, Daesung looks down at where Seunghyun still strains against him, his cock a constant, insistent pressure against his thigh, neglected for a bit but no less eager. "Come here," he says, reaching for Seunghyun with a timid smile, his expression softening into one of sympathy. "That looks painful. Come here, let me."  
  
They fumble around each other for a moment, knuckles knocking sharply and wrists colliding as Seunghyun tries to maintain his grip on Daesung while the other boy struggles to get his hand comfortably around Seunghyun's aching cock.  
  
"You can let go," Daesung says after a moment of this. "You got what you wanted, right? The answer to your burning question?"  
  
But... if Seunghyun lets go, the knot will fade. "Don't you want it to last?" he asks, genuinely surprised.  
  
"What's the point? I feel a little silly, just lying here doing nothing with your hand on my..." Daesung bits his lip. "Anyway, you're kind of in the way, like this," he says, shrugging. "Come on, let me do you."  
  
Seunghyun releases him. "Have it your way."  
  
He is already wet when Daesung gets his hand around him, his cock drooling out a slow and steady stream of pre-come from the anticipation alone. No way is he going to last.  
  
That's okay. He doesn't want to.  
  
"Faster," he urges as the other moves too slowly for his liking too cautiously. He covers Daesung's hand with his and folds their fingers in around his weeping cock with a near-choking grip. "Harder, too. You won't hurt me."  
  
"Okay," Daesung complies eagerly, pulling and tugging at him with punishing strength, the pumping action of his arm swift, his rhythm steady, his powerful hold on him just this side of painful. It's _perfect_. "How's this?"  
  
" _Ngh_ ," Seunghyun grunts, dropping his head low as he fucks rapidly into Daesung's fist, an intense heat coiling low in his belly. "Yeah, _fuck_ , that's-- that's good. That's great."  
  
Daesung flushes, Seunghyun's excitement evidently riling him up all over again. His eyes are dangerous as he looks up at him through his lashes and croons, "Like it a little rough, do you?"  
  
Seunghyun stares down at him. "You have no idea."  
  
But he will find out soon. Another time, when Seunghyun is not teetering on the edge of orgasm right from the start, when he has the composure to make it last, Seunghyun will bend Daesung over and fuck him _hard_ \-- as hard as he can give it-- and fast-- as fast as Daesung can take it-- and deep-- as deep as there is to dive inside the other boy's scorching heat. As his hips work frantically, Seunghyun envisions it clearly-- how Daesung's body will resist his cock as he pitches into him, yet will clamp down and grab hold of him as he draws back, like it doesn't know what it wants.  
  
But Seunghyun knows what he wants, and he thinks Daesung wants the same thing. The other wolf will learn then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, just how rough Seunghyun likes it.  
  
As Daesung works him over quickly Seunghyun catches sight of his tongue peeking out from between those plush lips of his-- in concentration, or tempting him down for a taste? His eyes flit up to Seunghyun's, his breath coming harsh and fast to match the rhythm of his hand.  
  
Seunghyun could not tear his eyes away even if he wanted to.  
  
Then it happens-- Daesung's tongue darts out, wetting his lips-- no, _licking_ them. Seunghyun must fight not to lose it right then and there, must wrangle back the overwhelming urge to blow his load all over Daesung's hand at the devastating thought of that sinful tongue and those obscene lips hard at work on his throbbing cock.  
  
Well, he knows what they'll be doing next time.  
  
For now, it is all he can do to keep himself propped up as the moment arrives when he finally forfeits, his orgasm tearing out of him like a wild thing. Seunghyun topples over and basks in the freefall as the fire in his groin ignites and he comes explosively, hot semen spilling from his cock and painting Daesung's just-washed abs white all over again. At least the other boy had the presence of mind to ruck up his shirt again in preparation.  
  
Of course, as often happens, not all of it finds its intended target.  
  
Daesung's hand on him ends up coated in strings of his come, milky-white and spanning the gaps between his fingers like the thickest spider's web. He raises his dirtied hand to his face, considering. Seunghyun helps him along, forgetting to breathe as he nudges Daesung's hand the final few inches to the other wolf's lips. Will he comply this time, or will he stubbornly refuse him again?  
  
There is no hesitation. _Fuck_ , Seunghyun thinks, clenching his jaw and staring, transfixed, as Daesung's eyes go half-lidded and his wet tongue whisks away the evidence, seeming to take great pleasure in doing so. It lolls from his mouth and laps at the fluid coating his fingers until there is none left. He gathers up what's on his belly and cleans that, too.  
  
_Fuck, fuck, fuck, what the fucking hell, Daesung_. Seunghyun swears up a storm in the privacy of his mind.  
  
"Mmm," Daesung hums, inspecting spotless fingers.  
  
Seunghyun gasps, his body remembering suddenly that it requires oxygen to live.  
  
"You wouldn't taste your own," he croaks, "but you're okay with mine?"  
  
Daesung swallows and says nothing, only grants him a secretive, satisfied smile.  
  
A familiar voice interrupts the moment. " _Nice_." Jiyong has returned.  
  
Daesung startles-- again. "Oh, shit," he says, a hand flying to his heart in fright. "When did he--?"  
  
Seunghyun only laughs. He flops onto his side on Daesung's left, boneless and far too sated to be bothered by Jiyong creeping on them again. It was only a handjob, yet Daesung managed to _blow his mind_.  
  
"Ignore him. Sometimes Jiyong likes to watch."  
  
"Sometimes Jiyong likes to join in, too," Jiyong corrects. "I could, you know. Alpha privileges and all."  
  
"You could," Seunghyun says, fighting to prevent his voice from plummeting into a beastly growl. "But you won't." He catches Jiyong's eye and holds it, staring him down with a gaze that promises pain should he try it.  
  
Seunghyun knows better than to challenge Jiyong like this, knows what punishment his open defiance can earn him. And it would be justified, as something ancient in their blood-- their wolf blood-- dictates that the hierarchy of the pack be upheld and, most importantly, be _respected_. Seunghyun is deeply aware of this, every fiber of his being quick to remind him that with every moment he holds his alpha's eyes in contempt he is _stepping out of line_.  
  
But fuck all that. His blood boils at the thought of Jiyong plucking Daesung from his grasp, at the notion that he might snatch up his new packmate's pleasure-- his potential to receive it and to give it-- and hoard it all to himself, leaving none for Seunghyun.  
  
Now that he has had a taste, Seunghyun is sure he would starve without it. All the flesh and blood and bone in the world would not satisfy his craving for more of Daesung.  
  
Seunghyun curls over him protectively, just in case. Behind him his tail bristles. He does not care how desperate he must look right now, all but clinging to what is his.  
  
Daesung stares up at him in open disbelief, looking as anxious as if the rebellious words had poured from his own lips instead of Seunghyun's. Seunghyun understands his fear. Daesung is tied to him now. Jiyong could discipline the both of them for Seunghyun's insolence if he felt the need. He could use his newfound interest in Daesung against him.  
  
Seunghyun reminds himself that his actions have more weight now than ever before. He is not the only one who may suffer in the wake of his quick temper. If Jiyong decides takes action, Daesung has done nothing to deserve it.  
  
But Jiyong is not that kind of alpha. He is kinder and fairer than most and he prides himself on exercising those qualities. Seunghyun thinks it makes him a great leader; maybe one day their pack will grow larger, their domain wider, and Jiyong will lead them all down a bright path along which their lives may flourish. They seem to be heading in that direction already, ever since he settled the three of them here... now four.  
  
Though he may not yet realize it, Daesung is at no risk, trapped under Seunghyun as he is. Jiyong will not hurt him, of this Seunghyun is confident. Daesung will be fine.  
  
"Hmmm," Jiyong says, resting his chin on a hand, examining him a moment. Studying the both of them, taking in Daesung's disquiet and Seunghyun's simmering jealousy with a collected air. "Disrespectful, Seunghyun," he chides. "But I'll let you get away with it this time, and only because you both look so cozy, all wrapped up in each other like that. Wouldn't want to pull you two apart. This is special."  
  
Judging by the look on his face, Daesung cannot believe what he is hearing. Seunghyun and Jiyong both laugh at the naked relief on his face. And just like that, the tension drains from the room.  
  
"Don't look so scared, Daesung. We have rules, sure, but you'll soon see that we're not like most packs," Jiyong brags. He rocks back on his heels while a smirk settles over his lips. "You could even say we're one of a kind."  
  
"There's that ego of yours," Seunghyun comments. There is no bite to it though. Jiyong is proud of their small-but-growing pack, and the trust he places in his packmates can be felt. His faith in them bolsters Seunghyun's confidence in their ability to not only survive on their own, but perhaps even thrive.  
  
"We've got a good thing going, I think. And it just got better by one,"Jiyong says. He winks at Daesung. "Anyway, I should probably go. I couldn't resist peeking in on your two one last time, but I know I'm interrupting. Feels like I'm spoiling your marriage bed, or... something."  
  
Daesung's surprised expression perfectly mirrors Seunghyun's own. "Marriage?" he croaks.  
  
"Well, yeah." Jiyong regards Seunghyun like he is thick in the head. "You're mates, right?"  
  
"What," Seunghyun and Daesung both say simultaneously.  
  
"Isn't that why--" Jiyong pauses. For a moment, even he appears dumbstruck; it's an unusual look on him for sure. "You know what, nevermind. Forget I said anything."  
  
"Jiyong." Seunghyun does growl this time. "Explain. Now."  
  
Jiyong, his dear, sweet alpha, unleashes on him a grin so wide and so full of teeth and gum that Seunghyun knows beyond a doubt he is up to something fishy. The other wolf is absolutely hiding something from him, something surely important. "I'll just go now. Leave you two lovebirds alone."  
  
" _Jiyong_ ," Seunghyun presses. Under him Daesung shifts as he leans on him, his weight crushing the other boy into the floor-- "Ugh, Seunghyun, you're heavy," he whines-- and that is enough to distract him for the split second it takes for Jiyong to make his getaway.  
  
"I think I hear Youngbae calling me. Must be back with breakfast!" Jiyong laughs brightly, practically fleeing the room.  
  
"Seriously, Jiyong!"  
  
Mercifully, Jiyong stops in the doorway. "Fine, I'll leave you with this much." Shooting Seunghyun a knowing look, he taps his own nose. " _The nose knows_."  
  
Then he is gone, the only evidence of him ever being there at all his lingering scent, full-bodied and sharp like pine.  
  
With a quick glance down at Daesung to make sure he's okay, Seunghyun rolls off and pulls his own shorts back up over his hips. Daesung follows suit shortly after; his knot deflated long ago and the rest of him has since calmed down as well.  
  
_Mates?_ What the fuck did Jiyong mean by such a thing? It would be just like him to say something outrageous like that and then leave Seunghyun hanging, chewing on the mystery of it and wearing away at it like a hound with an old, worn bone.  
  
That can't be right. Daesung and him? This boy beside him? This wolf who, as of just yesterday, shares with him his bed... and now his body. But bonded, really?  
  
It was just a quick fuck that day, that was all. Just once, and just, well, just because. Because Seunghyun had chanced upon a rival pack's least-ranked member and had felt compelled to conquer and claim, as any proper wolf would. Who is Jiyong to pronounce the two of them _mated_ after something so...  
  
Seunghyun draws back to study the boy at his side, searching him for some clue when it hits him. The sudden understanding that bursts over him is like breaking through the surface after a long swim underwater.  
  
_Conquer and claim_ , his mind repeats back to him. _Conquer and **claim**_.  
  
Well, fuck. Jiyong might be onto something, after all.  
  
He heaves a great sigh at the exact same moment he hears a new sound from beside him-- the long, low, unmistakable grumble of an empty stomach. Daesung's hands fly to his belly. The complaint stops.  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
Daesung returns his grin with a nervous one of his own. "Guess so," he says, fingers rubbing over his clearly very upset belly. Right over where Seunghyun's tongue had been as he had mopped him clean with gusto.  
  
"What, one measly fish a full day ago not enough for you?"  
  
Daesung falls very still. He squeezes the fingers of one hand in the other as he stammers, "I mean, if that's all there is--"  
  
"Whoa, take it easy." Seunghyun stops him before his nerves get too whipped up and flashes him a generous grin. "All joking aside, you better have a bigger appetite than that. You won't last here otherwise."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
He knocks Daesung's hands away from his stomach and replaces them with one of his own. When he presses in with the heel of his hand, Daesung's soft whine in reply is _so_ gratifying. "We're wolves. Naturally, we like to eat. A _lot_. So you better keep up."  
  
Daesung's whole face lights up. "That won't be an issue."  
  
"Good," Seunghyun says. This land is rich, teeming with wildlife. Not a bad place to call home. Their territory is expanding every day the more they get out there and make their presence known. And if their numbers continue to grow, so can the area they control.  
  
"There's so much more for you here than just fish. Though we can get you more of those if that's what you're hungry for," Seunghyun says, testing his appetite.  
  
"No, actually," Daesung says, sitting up. He kicks the blankets away from where they've tangled around his legs. "I could go for something... bigger. More substantial."  
  
"Red meat?"  
  
"Red meat."  
  
Seunghyun hums in approval. "Plenty of that. Just gotta go out and catch it." Easier said than done, but they are skilled enough hunters by now, especially when they work together as a team, as wolves are meant to do.  
  
Daesung's stomach makes its need known again, and Seunghyun is reminded that while Daesung may claim to be patient and forgiving, his stomach clearly is not. The other boy ducks his head, biting back an embarrassed laugh this time. Seunghyun is glad to see him at last a bit more at ease.  
  
"Think my clothes are dry yet?"  
  
Seunghyun makes a long face at him. "Something wrong with mine?"  
  
"Your pants are a little long on me," Daesung admits, smoothing a hand over his mussed hair. "Shirt's fine though. Guess I'll keep it on." He shrugs and stretches, Seunghyun's shirt pulling taut across his chest and broad shoulders. "If you want me to."  
  
"I do want you to." _It looks better on you, anyway_ , Seunghyun only just stops himself from saying.  
  
And so, cozy and inviting as it is, they cannot stay in their nest all day. Their hunger won't allow it. Swiftly, Seunghyun rises to his feet and reaches for Daesung, taking him by the wrist and pulling him up and off the floor. Out of bed and into a new day where outside a crisp, clear morning awaits them.  
  
And somewhere out there, waiting to be won, a warm meal.  
  
"Well, I'm ready when you are. More than ready, actually," Daesung announces, and across his young face there spreads a smile so genuine and hopeful that it steals Seunghyun's breath away.  
  
_Shit_ , he thinks. He is in trouble if this boy can render him breathless with nothing but a _smile_. Unable to speak or even think, with not a care in the world so long as Daesung keeps looking at him like that. What has he gotten himself into?  
  
"Come on then," Seunghyun says as soon as he remembers how to breathe. In and out, nothing to it. "Let's see how you hunt."

 

 

 

 


End file.
